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UNITED {STATES PATENT Orrictj.

FRANK BETTS, OF IRWIN, COLORADO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,913, dated January 11, 1.887.

Application filed September 10, 1886. Serial No. 213,253. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK BE'r'rs, of Irwin, in the county of Gunnison and State of 0010- rado, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved car-coupling; and it consists in certain features of construction and novel combinations of parts, aswill be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement in place. Fig. 2 is afront view of the coupling, parts being broken away to show the spring-support for the securing-plates. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the draw-head drawn above the coupling-hook.

The draw-head A may be fixed to the car in any suitable manner, and has a mortise or opening, 13, for the coupling bar or link 0. The outer ends of the mortise may be flaring, as shown. At the inner end of this flaring portion I arrange the securing-plates D D, which are secured in the draw-head in such manner that they may be moved in a plane at right angles to the length of the draw-head and into the mortise thereof. These plates are actuated inward by springs, so their inner or adjacent edges are forced toward each other.

Connections E are joined to the securingplates and extend outward and through the draw-head, and are connected to levers F. These levers are pivoted at w alongside the draw-head, and have arms H at their upper ends, which arms extend across the top of the draw-head, and are joined together by a sliding connection at about their middle portions.

This connection is preferably effected by 'providing one of the arms Hwith an eye, through which the other arm is passed.

At their ends the arms H have hand-holds, and by manipulating either lever they both may be operated to draw the securing-plates out and release the coupling-bar that may be secured in the draw-head.

The arms H, it will be seen, are secured in guides 1, mounted on the draw-head.

In order to provide for releasing the coupling from above the draw-head, as from the top of the car, a bar, I, is movable vertically in guides on the car, and has its lower end bifurcated or forked, providing sections z',which are connected with the arms H, as shown, so that the arms II and the levers of which they form a part may be operated by the movement of the bar I to release the coupling, in them-anner previously described. The sectionsi, it will be seen, connect with the free or handhold ends of arms H,-and such ends of the arms when depressed will operate to throw the lower ends of levers F outward, and so draw the securing-plates out of the path of the couplingbar. A spring, J, bearing under the arms H at their point of connection forces said arms upward, and serves to relieve the springs which operate the securing-plates of the weight of said levers.

While I prefer to use two securing-plates, as shown, and to duplicate the levers for operating the same, it is manifest that one of said plates might be replaced by a fixed bar or bearing in the draw-head without involvinga departure from the broad principles of my invention.

The coupling hook or link 0 is secured at one end within the draw-head in rear of the securing-plates. By preference I form this connection by means of a spring, K, connected at one end to the inner end of the couplingbar and at its opposite end to the draw-head. This spring serves to take up the slack of the train, and also allows a vertical play or adj ustment of the outer end of'the coupling-bar to enable the coupling of draw-heads of different heights. On the bar within the draw-head I form shoulders 2, which face forwardly and engage the'securing-plates, relieving the spring K of the draft when the parts are coupled.

The coupling-bar G is formed preferably in of the coupling-bar is formed in approximately 5 The coupling-bar is secured within the drawhead by a pin, :0, passed through the drawhead and through a slot, y, in the draw-bar. This slot is elongated in the direction of length of the bar, so the latter has a longitudinal as o well as a pivotal movement on pin 00.

In operation the coupling is effected by the meeting of two couplings constructed according to my invention, the coupling-bar of, one coupling entering the draw-head of the other 5 and passing between the securing-pl ates, which will close on its head 6 and secure it, and the uncoupling inay be effected by means of the devices and in the manner before described.

Having described my invention,what I claim o as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head, the securing-plates, the levers F, pivoted at f to the draw-head, connected at :5 their lower ends to the securing-plates, and

having at their upper ends arms extended across the upper side of the draw-head, and an operating-bar, I, having sections iconnccted with such arms, substantially as set forth.

go 2. The combination of the drawhead, the

pin :10, the coupling-bar having slot y fitting over pin :20, and a spring, as K, for normally retracting said draw-bar, substantially as set forth. 55 3. In a car-coupling, the draw-head having a securing plate or plates, combined with the coupli ng-bar having forwardly-facing shoulder 2, and a spring connecting said bar with the draw-head, substantially as set forth. o

4. The combination of the draw-head having a mortise, the coupling-bar inserted at one end into said mortise and having an elongated slot, 3 a spring, K, and a pin,-0r, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the draw-head, the securing-plates, the levers pivoted alongside the drawhead, connected with the securingplates' and havingarmsextended over the draw-head, and a spring bearing under said arms, substantially as set forth.

'6. The combination of the draw-head, the springactuated securing-plates, the couplingbar having forwardlyfacing shoulders arranged to engage the inner edges of said plates, and a spring-support for said bar, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination of the draw-head, the securing-plates, and the coupling-bar secured at its inner end in rearof said securing-plates, and having a head, as 5, in front of said plates, substantially as set forth.

8. The coupling-bar herein described,con-

sisting of the section 2, having slot 'y, and pro vided with a head, 5, the section 3, pivoted in head 5, and springs 4, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the draw-head,'the

coupling-bar having shoulders 2 and a slot,

y, the spring K, the pin x,'the securing-plates,

FRANK BETTS.

\Vitnesses:

ALEX. FRASER, SAMUEL J. RICE. 

